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Laboratory Title: Asteroids, Meteors and Comets, Create Your Own Edible Asteroid!
Name: Rachel Sticka
Concepts Addressed: Asteroids, Meteors, Meteorites, Meteoroids, Comets, Measurement, and
Minerals
Lab Objectives: Students will:
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Understand the difference between asteroids, meteors, and comets.
Make dough using a variety of ingredients.
Create their own edible s-type asteroid using food as various minerals.
Explore the composition of asteroids using food.
Explore the movement of asteroids, meteors and comets.
Explore the impact made by asteroids, meteors, and comets.
Grades: K-2
Benchmarks:
K.1 Structure and Function: The natural world includes living and non-living things.
K.1P.1 Compare and contrast characteristics of living and non-living things.
K.2 Interaction and Change: Living and non-living things move.
K.2P.1 Examine the different ways things move.
K.2E.1 Identify changes in things seen in the sky.
K.3 Scientific Inquiry: Science explores the natural world through observation.
K.3S.1 Explore questions about living and non-living things and events in the natural world.
K.3S.2 Make observations about the natural world.
K.4 Engineering Design: Engineering design is used to design and build things.
K.4D.1 Create structures using natural or designed materials and simple tools.
1.1 Structure and Function: Living and non-living things have characteristics and
properties.
1.1P.1 Compare and contrast physical properties and composition of objects.
1.1E.1 Examine characteristics and physical properties of Earth materials.
1.2 Interaction and Change: Living and non-living things interact.
1.2P.1 Describe the motion of objects when a force is applied.
1.3 Scientific Inquiry: Science explores the natural world using evidence from
observations.
1.3S.1 Identify and use tools to make careful observations and answer questions about the
natural world.
1.3S.2 Record observations with pictures, numbers, or written statements.
2.3 Scientific Inquiry: Scientific inquiry is a process used to explore the natural world
using evidence from observations.
2.3S.1 Observe, measure, and record properties of objects and substances using simple tools
to gather data and extend the senses.
2.4 Engineering Design: Engineering design is a process used to design and build
things to solve problems or address needs.
2.4D.1 Use tools to construct a simple designed structure out of common objects and materials.
2.4D.2 Work with a team to complete a designed structure that can be shared with others.
2.4D.3 Describe an engineering design that is used to solve a problem or address a need.
Materials:
Item……………………………………………………………………………………………Cost (TBD)
Equipment &Consumable Materials:
Item
5 Large mixing bowls
35 Small containers (optional)
5 Large mixing spoons
Marbles
Medium Bouncy Balls
Aluminum Foil
Ping Pong Balls
Consumable Materials:
Colored Pencils
Permanent Markers
Paper
100 ct. Sandwich bags
Food Gloves
Flour
Butter
Sugar
Brown Sugar
Vanilla Extract
Rainbow Sprinkles
Glitter Sprinkles
Chocolate Chips
Raisins
Vanilla Chips
Oatmeal
Rice Crispies
Wax Paper
Salt
Cinnamon
Shoe Box
Time:
Prep Time: 1 hour to do the shopping for the ingredients. An hour and a half to measure out ingredients
for each group. 1 hour to type out recipe and materials list and make copies. 30 minutes to make
flour/salt mix and put in 5 shoeboxes. 4 hours.
Instructional Time:
About 45 minutes for students to mix dough, create asteroids, and then to draw and label their asteroid.
5 to 10 minute wrap-up. 50 to 55 minutes.
About 30 minutes for students to do Magic School Bus Activity. 5-10 minute wrap-up. 35 to 40 minutes.
Clean up Time: For edible asteroids, as much time it takes for students to put their asteroid in the
baggie, take materials to the front, and wash out bowls and spoons in the sink. Probably about 15
minutes.
For the magic school bus activity, about 5 minutes. Collect balls and put lids on the shoeboxes.
Procedure:
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Students learn through lecture the differences between asteroids, meteors, and
comets. Look at composition, where they are located, etc.
Students close their eyes and imagine an asteroid in space. This is their new discovery!
As scientists, students must work together and individually to build a 3-D model of the
asteroid.
Students get into groups, mix dough (following the recipe), and allocate a ball of dough
for each student.
Students will add different foods to their dough to represent different minerals.
Students must draw and label the asteroid to show the different parts for “other”
scientists. Then they must come up with a name. Extension: Children create a story
around their asteroid.
The next day students will re-visit the idea of asteroids, meteors, and comets. Will look
at how they make craters upon impact. Show pictures of craters on earth, moon, etc.
Students get in groups and explore the impact of craters using balls and shoeboxes filled
with flour, salt, and a sprinkle of cinnamon on top.
First, students crouch and drop different sized balls. Then they stand and drop from
shoulder-height.
Class comes back together and talks about their observations and hypothesis.
Assessment:
Each child must complete a 3-D model of an asteroid, along with their drawing. Each drawing must
include labels of minerals and craters, and a name for the crater.
Backround:
http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/comets.php
Comets, Meteors and Asteroids
(Links | Questions)
Comets, asteroids, and meteors are often grouped together since they are all basically the same
thing: small pieces of rock and/or ice that aren't part of a major planet.
Comets
Comets are objects composed mostly of ice and dust that grow tails when they approach the sun.
All comets have a nucleus, which is the hard rock/ice object. When a comet nucleus nears the
sun, solar energy begins to heat the ice and vaporize it. The gas flies off the comet, sometimes
violently enough to break the nucleus apart, and throws dust up with it. The gases form a cloud
around the nucleus called the coma. Some of the gas is stripped of electrons and blown back by
the solar wind. This forms a bluish colored ion tail. The dust particles are pushed away from the
comet by solar radiation, forming a dust tail that can be many millions of miles long. The dust
tail is the easiest to see with the unaided eye, but occasionally the ion tail is visible as well. Each
time a comet passes close to the sun, it loses more of its ice. Eventually, after many passes, the
comet may no longer have enough material to form tails. Its surface will be covered by dark dust
and it will look more like an asteroid.
Comets come from two places in the Solar System: the Oort Cloud and the Kuiper Belt. The Oort
Cloud is a spherical halo of comets surrounding the Solar System at a distance of around 50,000
Astronomical Units. (One Astronomical Unit equals the distance from Earth to the Sun.) Comets
from the Oort Cloud have long orbital periods and can enter the solar system from many
different directions. The Kuiper Belt is a ring of icy objects beyond the orbit of Neptune (30-100
AU). It lies (more or less) in the plane of the solar system and is a reservoir for the short period
comets that we see. The first Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs) were discovered in the early 90s, and
they captured the interest of astronomers because they are probably the oldest, most pristine
material in the solar system. Studying KBOs is difficult because they are distant and very small,
but more have been discovered over the last few years as telescope and instrument technologies
have improved. Astronomers now know of a few hundred KBOs, including a large object called
Quaoar which is half the size of Pluto. Quaoar is the largest solar system object discovered since
Pluto and Charon, and it reinforces the idea that there might be other large KBOs that are still
undiscovered.
Asteroids
Asteroids are the small rocky objects in the Solar System. The largest asteroid is Ceres, which is
933 kilometers (580 miles) across. The smallest asteroids that we've observed in detail are only
tens of meters in size, but there are probably a great number of small rocks in space that are
currently too small for us to detect. Many asteroids, including all of the largest asteroids, orbit
the sun between Mars and Jupiter in the Asteroid Belt. The Trojan asteroids share Jupiter's
orbital path, but stay 60 degrees ahead or behind Jupiter. Near-Earth Asteroids orbit the sun in
the vicinity of the rocky terrestrial planets and pose the greatest threat to Earth. We think that the
total mass of all the asteroids combined is less than that of the Moon.
The asteroid population is amazingly diverse - each one seems different! Some asteroids such as
Mathilde are very light and are probably "rubble piles" made up of lots of small particles loosely
held together. Other asteroids are metallic (for example Kleopatra) or pieces of solid rock (Eros,
visited by the NEAR spacecraft, is an example) . Sometimes asteroids have small moons or
travel in equal-sized pairs. Most asteroids have unusual shapes because they have experienced
many collisions and do not have a strong enough gravity to pull themselves back into a sphere.
Asteroids are not visible to the unaided eye, but some can be seen with small telescopes or even
binoculars.
Meteors
Meteors are the short, white trails across the sky that we call "shooting stars." They are caused by
small pea-sized pieces of inter-planetary dust that burn up when they slam into the Earth's
atmosphere at high speeds. Meteor showers happen when Earth passes through the orbital path of
a comet that left a lot of dust behind. Earth plows through the dust, and the particles form
meteors as they hit the atmosphere. Occasionally a small rock may fall through the atmosphere,
causing an extremely bright and colorful streak across the sky called a fireball. (These are often
mistaken for comets, but comets do not streak across the sky quickly; they are usually visible for
many days.) Sometimes fireball rocks are not completely vaporized, and they impact Earth's
surface. A rock that fell from space this way is called a meteorite.
The Ask an Astronomer team's favorite links about Comets, Meteors and
Asteroids:
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Nine Planets: Small Solar System Objects Information and facts about small "rocks in space"
from the Nine Planets Solar System Tour.
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Jet Propulsion Labratory Near-earth Object Site This site has lots of links to pictures of
comets and asteroids, links to spacecraft missions that have been to comets and asteroids,
and a list of Potentially Hazardous Asteroids.
Comets and Meteor Showers Information on recent comets and a calendar of meteor
showers can be found here. Check out the links for more resources.
Asteroid and Comet Impact Hazards Information about impact hazards and the NASA
programs developed for impact hazard research. The site also has news, a FAQ, and a
Near Earth Object catalog.
Previously asked questions about Comets, Meteors and Asteroids:
(General questions | Comets | Asteroids | Meteors | Impacts | Meteorites | The Kuiper Belt & Oort Cloud)
General questions:
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How do asteroids, meteors and comets disappear? (Beginner)
Is the Earth slowly getting larger? (Beginner)
Do asteroids hit the sun? (Beginner)
Why are craters round? (Beginner)
Why are the compositions of comets and asteroids different? (Intermediate)
How does melting a material reset its radioactive clock? (Intermediate)
Comets:
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Could we send a space mission to a comet? (Beginner)
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When is the next comet due to arrive? (Beginner)
How many comets are currently orbiting our sun? (Beginner)
Do asteroids hit the sun? (Beginner)
If comets are boiling away, why are there any left? (Intermediate)
When will Halley's Comet return? (Intermediate)
When will Hale-Bopp return? (Intermediate)
What caused Shoemaker-Levy 9 to split up? (Advanced)
Asteroids:
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Are there any asteroids on a collision course with Earth? (Beginner)
Are the asteroids the remains of a planet which broke apart? (Beginner)
How did asteroids form and what is the difference between an asteroid and a comet? (Beginner)
Do asteroids ever do anything good in the Solar System? (Beginner)
Do asteroids hit the sun? (Beginner)
How are asteroid compositions and classifications determined? (Intermediate)
Why does one side of Mars look more catastrophic than the other? (Intermediate)
How dangerous are the asteroids? (Intermediate)
Meteors:
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What are shooting stars? (Beginner)
Will the Leonid meteor shower go away? (Beginner)
Why don't skydivers burn up like meteors? (Beginner)
What color are meteors? (Beginner)
What is the typical size of a visible shooting star? (Intermediate)
Did I really hear a meteor? (Intermediate)
Are there any new craters on the moon? (Intermediate)
Do more meteorites fall at low latitudes? (Intermediate)
Impacts:
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Are there any asteroids on a collision course with Earth? (Beginner)
What would happen if an asteroid 10 kilometers across hit the Earth? (Beginner)
Why are there no craters on Earth? Did all the meteorites miss us? (Beginner)
What is the biggest crater recorded on Earth? (Beginner)
Do asteroids hit the sun? (Beginner)
Why are craters round? (Beginner)
What would happen to the Earth if an asteroid hit the Moon? (Intermediate)
Are there any new craters on the moon? (Intermediate)
Would the biggest airplanes cause tsunamis if they crashed? (Intermediate)
Can planets collide with one another? (Intermediate)
Meteorites:
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How can I tell if the rock I found is a meteorite? (Beginner)
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Why is it important to study meteorites? (Beginner)
Did I find a rock that came from the Moon? (Beginner)
What's the biggest meteorite? (Beginner)
Was I hit by a meteorite? (Intermediate)
Are meteorites hot or cold when they hit Earth? (Intermediate)
How many meteorites hit Earth each year? (Intermediate)
How do we detect incoming meteorites? (Intermediate)
What do meteorites tell us about life on other planets? (Intermediate)
Can superheavy elements (such as Z=116 or 118) be formed in a supernova? Can we observe
them? (Advanced)
The Kuiper Belt & Oort Cloud:
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Will we discover an 11th planet? What would it be called? (Beginner)
What is between the Oort cloud and the closest star? (Beginner)
Can HST see the Oort cloud? (Intermediate)
Are Kuiper Belt Objects asteroids? Are large Kuiper Belt Objects planets? (Intermediate)
Lesson Plan Ideas:
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=1661
The Magic School Bus Out of This World
Field Trip Notes
According to Dorothy Anns research, an asteroid is going to collide with Walkerville Elementary!
To save the school, the class rockets into space to try and follow the asteroids path. There, the
kids see comets, meteors, and other space objects. When the moons gravity pulls them off course,
the kids discover that the bigger the object, the greater its gravitational pull. DA comes up with
an out-of-this-world plan: Theyll find the asteroid, change its course, and fling it into the sun! Can
the kids boldly go where no class has gone before? Or will school be out...forever?
Going Hands-On
Time: 30 minutes
Group Size: Four
If the asteroid Ms. Frizzles class followed crashed to Earth, it would create a huge crater. Your
kids can explore the craters that objects of different sizes and weights - marbles, Ping-Pong balls,
and aluminum-foil balls - create.
What You Need
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Small jar of cinnamon
Marbles, small and large
Aluminum-foil balls
Ping-Pong balls
Spoon
Copies of CRATERS
For each group:
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4 cups of salt and 4 cups of flour
Shoe box
Ahead of time: Mix flour and salt together in shoe boxes. Smooth the surface flat and cover with a
light layer of cinnamon.
Talk About It
Hold up the balls. Ask: What might we see if we dropped these into the shoe boxes?
What To Do
1. From crouching positions, kids drop the balls into the shoe boxes and then carefully
remove balls. Ask: What do you see? (craters of different size and depth; some bigger then
objects; may see “spokes” of cinnamon or small mounds of four/salt mixture around
craters) Have students draw their craters.
2. Ask: What might happen if we dropped the balls from higher up? (They would fall harder.)
3. Have kids drop balls into the box from shoulder height. Ask: What do you see? (bigger,
deeper craters) Why did that happen? (Balls had more time to pick up speed; faster balls
make bigger holes.) Have kids draw these craters and compare with their first craters.
Next Stop
Ask: What might happen if we dropped objects that aren’t round into the shoe boxes? Try it!
http://www.spaceexplorers.com/internal/events/spacefun/edibleasteroids.html
Edible Asteroids
Asteroids are rocky, metallic objects that orbit the sun. Asteroids are believed to be the remains of a planet collision
that occurred shortly after the formation of the solar system. Another theory is that asteroids were pieces of a
potential planet that was never able to become a complete planet and dissipated into the solar system. Regardless of
how asteroids were formed, scientists have been able to observe their unique shapes and sizes. Asteroids range in
sizes from 1000 km in diameter to the size of pebbles. The larger asteroids have crater marks on their surface, similar
to that of the moon.
Here is your opportunity to make your own edible asteroids. You will need the following supplies:
Ingredients
Utensils
Potatoes: enough to make 4 to 8 cups of mashed
potatoes
Electric mixer to make the mashed potatoes
1/2 stick of butter
Cookie sheet
Salt
Oven mitt
Pepper
Mixing bowl and spoon
Step 1.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
Step 2.
Take a small slice of butter and rub onto cookie sheet. It will help keep your asteroids from sticking to the sheet.
Step 3.
Make the mashed potatoes, add butter and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. The mixture should stick together. If it
is too dry, add a little milk. If it is too moist, add a little flour (start with 2 tablespoons).
Step 4.
Take a handful of mashed potatoes and shape into your own asteroid. Be sure to poke holes in your asteroids
to look like craters.
Step 5.
Set your asteroid on the greased cookie sheet.
Step 6.
Put your cookies sheet of potato asteroids in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until brown around the edges.
Step 7.
Remove your asteroids from the oven using an oven mitt and place on a serving plate. Let sit for 5 minutes to cool
down.
Step 8.
Enjoy your asteroids.
http://www.serenityhillchaletdev.com/6thGrdCur/documents/s6e1/f/unit_f.pdf
Comets, Asteroids and Meteors, Oh My!
Key Words: asteroid, coma, comet, crater, meteor, meteorite, meteoroid, nucleus, tail
Desired Outcomes
Goals:
S6E1. Students will explore current scientific views of the universe and how those views
evolved.
f. Describe the characteristics of comets, asteroids, and meteors.
S6CS1. Students will explore the importance of curiosity, honesty, openness, and
skepticism in science and will exhibit these traits in their own efforts to understand how
the world works.
a. Understand the importance of – and keep – honest, clear, and accurate records in
science.
S6CS5. Students will use the ideas of system, model, change, and scale in exploring
scientific and technological matters.
b. Identify several different models (such as physical replicas, pictures, and analogies)
that could be used to represent the same thing, and evaluate their usefulness, taking
into account such things as the model’s purpose and complexity.
Understandings:
Students will understand that
comets, meteors, and asteroids have
impacted our solar system and the planets
and moons contained in it.
Essential Question:
How would the Earth be different if there
were no comets, meteors, and asteroids in
space?
Students will know
the physical characteristics of
comets, meteors and asteroids;
where comets, meteors and
asteroids are most likely to be
found; and
how craters are formed.
Students will be able to
differentiate between comets,
meteors, and asteroids;
keep accurate and clear records
while observing a meteor shower;
label the parts of a comet;
discuss how Earth and the other
planets in the solar system have
been affected by comets, meteors,
and asteroids; and
indicate the probable location of
comets, meteors, and asteroids on
a map of the solar system.
Lesson Hook:
Show all or part of the movie Asteroid. Lead a discussion of the movie with the
students. Ask how realistic they believe the movie to be, and to give reasons for
Grade 6 Earth Science Standard 1f 75 Comets, Asteroids, and Meteors, Oh My!
their beliefs.
Complete the “Noblesville Fall” lesson from the NASA publication Exploring
Meteorite Mysteries, available through the NASA Resource Center (see
resources) or online at http://wwwcurator.
jsc.nasa.gov/outreach1/expmetmys/Lesson1.pdf
Assessment
Performance Tasks:
Performance Task #1: Milky Way Amusement Park Students are hired as
contractors to create new rides for the Milky Way Amusement Park. Students may
choose among comets, meteors, and asteroids for their rides. They must write a
proposal for the ride, describing in detail where the ride will be located, how the
customer will get to the ride, what the ride looks like, how the customer will feel on
the ride, where the ride ends up, cost of the ride, etc. A model or diorama depicting
the ride will also be created. A rubric will be used to grade the proposal and model.
Students will be given a copy of the rubric when the assignment is made, and it
should also be used for student self-assessment.
Construct a model of a comet with its parts correctly labeled.
Write a science fiction story involving a comet, meteors, or asteroids. Even though
the story is science fiction, the details concerning the comet, meteors, or asteroids
must be scientifically accurate.
Write an acrostic poem for the words comet, asteroid, and meteor.
Other Evidence:
Make 3 paddles for each student out of 3 different colors of construction paper and
wooden craft sticks. Label one color comet, one color asteroid, and one color meteor.
Call out characteristics of one or more of the object(s). Students are to hold up the
corresponding paddle(s). (Example: “made of dust and ice” – student holds up comet
paddle) Teacher can quickly evaluate student comprehension.
Accuracy of meteor shower data
Observation of participation in class discussion
Selected Response Tests (multiple choice, true-false, matching)
Constructed Response Tests (fill in the blank, short answer, essay, graphic organizers
etc.)
Oral questions
Journal sharing
Student self-assessment
Peer review
Grade 6 Earth Science Standard 1f 76 Comets, Asteroids, and Meteors, Oh My!
Plan of Action
Learning Activities:
Activity Sheet #1: Compare and contrast comets and asteroids by researching their
characteristics from the Internet or other resources and by completing the Comets and
Asteroids comparison chart.
Research major meteor showers to find out when they occur. In cooperative learning
groups, have students combine individual data to create a timeline. Explain why meteor
showers are visible at about the same time each year.
Activity Sheet #2: Observe a major meteor shower (e.g. Lyrids in April, Perseids in
August, Leonids in October etc.) Students should use the meteor-shower observation
sheet to record data.
Collect meteorites by placing a large plastic container of distilled water outside for two
weeks during various meteor showers throughout the year. Using a magnet, collect the
meteorites from the bottom of your container. You may wish to place a container outside
of your classroom instead of assigning this as an individual project.
Research the media for incidences of comet sightings and the reactions of observers.
Explain how comets are tracked and why they are not visible every year as meteor
showers are.
Make edible comets and asteroids. Provide a variety of ingredients and let
students use
their imaginations to create their comet and/or asteroid. (Hint- You could use
ice cream
and/or slushy ingredients for comets and cookie dough and/or non-cook fudge
ingredients for asteroids.) Use peer review to determine if the models
accurately portray
the physical attributes of a comet/asteroid.
Make a dry ice comet. Instructions can be found at
http://stardust.jpl.nasa.gov/classroom/activities/2-stardst-ch02.pdf
After showing students pictures of craters on the moon, provide materials (e.g. aluminum
pans, flour, marbles, etc.) and allow students to devise experiments on how to create
craters of varying depths and widths.
Hold a class discussion on how the Earth would be different if there were no comets,
meteors, or asteroids.
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/asteroids/compositio
n.shtml